Jonah, used and abused by CNN, is prepared to deliver a level of rank punditry not yet seen in legacy media. He begins today's episode of The Ruminant by eulogizing Mitch McConnell's tenure in the Senate, noting the positive correlation between disdain for McConnell and general unseriousness. Briefly touching on the state of primaries and Biden's low popularity, he then explains his most recent G-File on Aaron Bushnell's suicide and how boredom is (not so slowly) killing us. Stick around for som...
Mar 02, 2024•1 hr 25 min
If the American Enterprise Institute were a prison, education policy scholars Rick Hess and Michael McShane would be the leaders of its most feared inmate gang. Today, they join Jonah not simply to pressure him into swearing loyalty, but to discuss their new book, Getting Education Right: A Conservative Vision for Improving Early Childhood, K-12, and College. It’s no secret that America’s education system is struggling, but what can actually be done to reform it? What does it mean to be a conser...
Feb 29, 2024•1 hr 14 min
Today’s episode of The Remnant features James Kirchick, the prolific pundit and author of Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington. Recently, James published an essay in Liberties that examined how gay culture has changed in American life since the 1980s. But despite the success of the gay rights movement, LGBTQ issues remain prominent in the culture war. Why is this the case? Where do we go from here? And how would Jonah’s grandpa feel about this episode? Show Notes: —Watch this episod...
Feb 28, 2024•1 hr 8 min
Jonah attempts to avoid the straitjacket while The Fair Jessica is away, so he decides to spend an hour talking to himself in a dark basement. He goes through a number of topics to make even the most excitable eggheads nauseated, from the fad of stay-at-home girlfriends (why milk the cow ladies?) to Biden’s irresponsible dog ownership. Jonah regains sanity for a second to talk about the Alabama Supreme Court's IVF ruling before hallucinating about rodents and going gonzo on Tucker's trip to Russ...
Feb 24, 2024•1 hr 18 min
Marriage is a fundamental institution, so why is it under attack from both ends of the political spectrum? In his new book, Get Married, Brad Wilcox—a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a professor at the University of Virginia—makes the case that getting married and starting a family is the best way of leading a prosperous life. But how can law and culture encourage Americans to tie the knot? Why has public interest in marriage declined? And how does marriage mak...
Feb 22, 2024•1 hr 10 min
On today’s episode of The Remnant, Jonah’s disdain for the elderly leads him to step into the intellectual octagon with a man nine days his senior: novelist and CNN host Jake Tapper. Jake’s new show, United States of Scandal, takes a darkly comedic look at some of America’s wildest political controversies, and Jonah’s eager to discuss all the sordid details while keeping the nudity as tasteful as possible. Is Washington full of conspiracies? How many chemicals were in Larry King’s hair? And do s...
Feb 21, 2024•1 hr 8 min
Having woken up to the Alexei Navalny news, Jonah spends this Ruminant thinking through what the Russian opposition leader’s death might portend. From tzars and (real) settler colonialism to useful idiots a-la Tucker Carlson, the good listener should expect a very Russian episode. Пожалуйста. A more patient listener will also hear Jonah revisiting his conversation with the Lewis brothers, due to somewhat popular demand. Show Notes: -The Lewis brothers on The Remnant -Kevin Kosar on The Remnant -...
Feb 17, 2024•1 hr 31 min
Once again, Jonah has abandoned his Remnant duties to spend the week nibbling on sponge cake while watching the sun bake. Fortunately, Chris Stirewalt, America’s favorite simple country pundit, is on hand to take control of the program. He’s joined by Ruy Teixiera, author of Where Have All the Democrats Gone? and a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, to discuss what the wretched state of our parties could mean for the 2024 election. The GOP has spent the last decade having an ext...
Feb 15, 2024•57 min
Is there really such a thing as left and right? Scholars Hyrum and Verlan Lewis don’t think so. In their book, The Myth of Left and Right, the brothers argue that this generalization is undermining sophisticated political discourse. And on today’s episode of The Remnant, they join Jonah to explain why, when two tribes go to war, a point really is all you can score. Do terms like conservative and liberal really have any use? Why are we having an election between two wretched candidates? How do in...
Feb 14, 2024•1 hr 27 min
Tired and sunburnt, Jonah chimes in from somewhere in the Virgin Islands to share his thoughts (ramblings?) on the little he knows from the news of the past week. But stay tuned for a crossover of his appearance on Kevin Williamson’s podcast, How The World Works. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 10, 2024•1 hr 20 min
If you’ve never been a resident of the Washington egghead-osphere, you’re probably not familiar with the 20th-century political scientist Edward Banfield. But Kevin Kosar—a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and noted KISS fanatic—thinks that you should be. In 1951, Banfield published Government Project, an account of the U.S. government’s attempt to remake the lives of some of its citizens by establishing a cooperative farm in Arizona during the Great Depression. The project did...
Feb 08, 2024•57 min
What’s the meaning of life? 42? Pizza? The Remnant? David Bahnsen may or may not have the answer, but he’s at least certain of what makes life satisfying: honest, productive work. In his new book, Full-Time, he explores how work can allow us to find purpose and fulfillment. But is all work equally meaningful? Is the market best placed to determine its value? And does David have a higher net worth than Scrooge McDuck? Show Notes: – David’s webpage – David’s new book, Full-Time: Work and the Meani...
Feb 07, 2024•1 hr 25 min
Jonah starts on a cheerful note with lessons from Groundhog Day, but quickly the grim realities of our fallen world drag him back to punditry. If you manage to get past the brooding about Taylor/Kelce, philosophical pragmatism, and the American propensity for conspiracies, then you'll be subjected to passages from Liberal Fascism and, worst of all, notes about anti-NATO Twitter. Good luck. Show Notes: –Jonah: “It’s Nietzsche’s World, You’re Just Living In It” -Jonah: "A Movie for All Time" -The ...
Feb 03, 2024•1 hr 24 min
Jonah serves up a jumbo slice of rank eggheadery on today’s Remnant to compensate for yesterday’s shockingly (or perhaps mercifully) brief episode. He’s joined for the first time by Peter Berkowitz, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and prolific writer on politics and America’s liberal tradition, to wax Yiddish on topics of both broad and minimal interest. What do academics and philosophers have against the English language? Do ideas actually matter? And what does the nationalist right g...
Feb 01, 2024•1 hr 21 min
Has America lost its sense of humor? In Jonah’s view, only a Brit with a distinctly stiff upper lip can answer that question. He’s joined on today’s Remnant by journalist and politician Daniel Hannan, who’s back on the show to explore when and why America began to take a turn for the crazy. Why do recessions lead to populism? Is political apathy actually a good thing? And has the United Kingdom become besotted by its own post-liberal movement? Show Notes: – Daniel’s webpage – Steven Pinker’s The...
Jan 31, 2024•40 min
Jonah is well-rested which means an extra long and digressive Ruminant in which he recounts his experience debating Ezra Klein at an event in Ohio. He then ruminates on conservative intellectual history (the free spot on your bingo cards), the left-wingification of the right wing, and the benefit of “invisible hand” systems. Ignore the sounds of the asylum staff trying to break through the door. Show Notes: — Jonah: Does Reality Change Ideas or Vice Versa? — Adrian Vermeule: Liberalism and the I...
Jan 27, 2024•1 hr 37 min
Finally back from his escapades in the Midwest, Jonah invites Brian Riedl, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and resident "debts and deficits" wonk, back on The Remnant. They discuss the necessity of raising taxes on the middle class, how much weed it would take to balance the budget, and the extinction of fiscally conservative Republicans. What can be done about the debt? What would happen if the IRS is abolished? Why is Jonah so afraid of monetary policy? Show Notes: — Brian's page at...
Jan 25, 2024•1 hr 9 min
On today’s special and prematurely released episode of The Remnant, Jonah is joined by Sarah Isgur, the host of the niche legal pseudo-podcast, Advisory Opinions, to explain Chevron deference and its prognosis at the Supreme Court. They explore the potential implications of overturning it—the good, the bad, and the ugly—and the likelihood of Congress getting its act together. However, the main event is the debate over whether our lizard brains truly care about policy. Did the abolition of slaver...
Jan 23, 2024•1 hr 17 min
Jonah is in a suspiciously pleasant mood coming off The Dispatch's live event in New Hampshire but regular disclaimers of tiredness still apply. Before replaying the Ruminant's greatest hits, he criticizes Rand Paul's ironic response to Donald Trump's claim of presidential immunity, explains how 2024 might begin to look like 2016, and kvetches about the anti-Trump crowd's catastrophization. Stick around for some ruminations on doggy eugenics. Show Notes: — Trump's "full immunity" truth — Rand Pa...
Jan 20, 2024•1 hr 18 min
While Jonah heads to New Hampshire, Chris “Dixville’s Notch” Stirewalt reassumes his rightful position as chief poobah of The Remnant. He’s joined by Christine Rosen—AEI senior fellow, Commentary magazine columnist, and noted “quiet car Karen”—to discuss the state of the 2024 election as we approach the New Hampshire primary. At this point, it seems certain that Trump will be the GOP nominee, but what will this mean for his opponents? For that matter, who will be his running mate? Is America sti...
Jan 18, 2024•1 hr 5 min
Ross Douthat is back on TheRemnant to provide a post-mortem for the Iowa caucuses. With the first result of the race now in, is Donald Trump’s renomination guaranteed? Where did Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley go wrong? Would a second Trump administration be staffed entirely by crazy people? And could a Trump-Biden rematch cause Jonah and Ross to rethink their life choices? Show Notes: -Watch this episode on YouTube -Ross: “How Trump’s Opponents Made Iowa Easy for Him” -Ross’ 2020 book, The Decaden...
Jan 17, 2024•1 hr 19 min
Full of rage and regret, Jonah reconsiders the life choices that led to him watching the interminable DeSantis-Haley debate start to finish, and plans to inflict his pain on listeners. He also revisits his argument about Hitler inflation in Democratic electioneering, and, at a listener's request, considers the ties between DEI and Marxism. Show Notes Jonah's Never Go Full Hitler Jonah on CNN (DEI debate) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 13, 2024•1 hr 14 min
Determined to prove that Advisory Opinions is merely a niche secondary podcast, Jonah is joined today by Adam White—the American Enterprise Institute’s resident law-talkin’ guy—to ramble through the latest in legal controversies. Topics on the docket include a potential Biden impeachment, legal threats to Donald Trump, and how the Supreme Court is holding up in these turbulent times. Plus, tune in to find out if America will ever become a land without lawyers. Show Notes: —Adam: “Common Law Judg...
Jan 11, 2024•1 hr 13 min
Get your bingo cards ready, because Remnant stalwart Mo Elleithee makes an overdue return to the program to kvetch about some familiar topics. Mo believes that we’re heading for a terrifying 2020 rematch. But could one of Donald Trump’s opponents still make a comeback, and will Joe Biden manage to make it through a full campaign? For that matter, what’s wrong with American elites? How can we reverse declining trust in institutions? And how did Jonah come to have more hatred for primaries than li...
Jan 10, 2024•1 hr 27 min
Hungover from a night of CNN debate wonkery and inadequately caffeinated, Jonah provides an especially nerdy Ruminant covering yesterday’s town hall with Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, the strange desire to have a beer with presidential candidates, and the Biden administration’s lacking response to the Houthis, the latter inevitably leading to a lengthy defense of having a Navy. He discusses all of this while leaving enough (probably too much) time for the reification of diversity and some lousy ...
Jan 06, 2024•1 hr 26 min
Jonah completes his American Enterprise Institute hat trick on today’s Remnant with Yuval Levin, AEI’s director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies. The two start with some hesitant media criticism of the reaction to Harvard President Claudine Gay’s resignation before turning to the novelty, or lack thereof, of the oppressor-oppressed paradigm, the usefulness of horseshoe theory, and the need for strong institutions. Prepare your bingo cards. Show notes: - Yuval's AEI page - Conserva...
Jan 04, 2024•1 hr 10 min
It’s finally 2024, but instead of looking ahead with optimism, Jonah would rather use The Remnant to kvetch about the many lows of last year. Today, he’s joined by Matthew Continetti—still adjusting to his new role as the American Enterprise Institute’s leading corporate suit—to decide whether 2023 should be considered the worst year in modern political history. But given the unfolding presidential race, is 2024 shaping up to be any better? Is a Trump renomination guaranteed? And will Biden even...
Jan 03, 2024•1 hr 9 min
Of all the (many) things Jonah hates, he has a unique resentment for the concept of New Year’s Eve. If you share his disdain for the holiday, then try ringing in 2024 with the bitter grumblings of today’s discombobulated, needlessly lengthy Ruminant rather than a trip to Times Square or an overpriced prix-fixe dinner. As usual, a number of urgent questions are addressed: Could Nikki Haley’s recent slavery gaffe tank her campaign? Why is partisanship problematic? What’s the latest on the war in I...
Dec 30, 2023•1 hr 23 min
Jonah’s in full fanboy mode on today’s long-anticipated Remnant. His guest is Paul Bloom—respected psychologist, prolific author, and noted body double for Al Gore and soundalike for Donald Sutherland—who’s back on the program at last to answer all of Jonah’s burning questions about human behavior and the mind. How should we feel about Freud? Who should decide what issues are taboo? And are people born with an innate political orientation? Viking babies and sci-fi aficionados alike will find muc...
Dec 28, 2023•1 hr 12 min
Jonah indulges in one of his favorite traditions in today's Remnant: kvetching about economics with Michael Strain, the American Enterprise Institute’s director of economic policy studies. Their conversation offers a crash course in the history of economics as a social science, a guide to the myths of income inequality, and a few musings on what really caused the Great Depression. Plus, they explore perhaps the most important topic of all: TV shows you should watch instead of paying attention to...
Dec 27, 2023•1 hr 14 min
